


seven years late

by vulcanrise



Series: a year of holidays [1]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Post-Season/Series 14, karaoke as a plot device, so sappy it should be illegal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21967189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulcanrise/pseuds/vulcanrise
Summary: After the holiday party with the gang, Mac and Dennis go home and exchange gifts for Christmas.
Relationships: Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds
Series: a year of holidays [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587445
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	seven years late

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from anocccularpatdown for mac and dennis exchanging gifts away from the rest of the gang. i know it's sappy, but that's what holiday fics are for.
> 
> rated t just for language. these boys get excited.

There’s no snow falling outside, but then again it never snows on Christmas in Philadelphia.

The Paddy’s annual staff Christmas party is barely different from any other day at the bar except they exchange construction paper cards and someone brings a plate of desserts. It’s too complicated to do gifts. Valentine’s Day was proof enough.

Mac and Dennis prepare their usual tea as soon as they walk in the door. Get the kettle, fill it with water, take out two mugs, choose the teabag, wait until the whistle and pour. Their movements and practiced and fluid as they move around each other in their kitchen.

Finally, they take their seats. Blow across the top so they don’t burn their lips. Mac never waits long enough.

“I know we don’t usually do this…”

Dennis glances up at Mac, whose face is twisted in a reluctant grimace. “Don’t do what?”

Mac takes a deep breath. “Don’t be mad, but I got you something for Christmas.”

“Oh,” Dennis says, eyes going a little wide. “That’s fine. I actually got you something too.”

Mac’s shoulders relax and he leans back in his chair.

“That is… such a relief.” His smile widens. “Okay, stay right here. I’ll go get it.”

Dennis pinches his lips together to keep from grinning too much as Mac stands up and hurries into his room.

He comes back with a lumpy gift-wrapped package with a bow on top. The wrapping job is less than spectacular, but Dennis doesn’t expect anything more from Mac.

“Here,” he says, throwing the gift a little too energetically towards Dennis. “I hope you like it.”

It’s a sweater because of course it is. Blue, like always. Mac knows him better than to get anything else. It’s soft and it’s not wool, because Mac knows that irritates him. It’s absolutely perfect.

“Thanks, Mac.” He doesn’t hide his smile this time.

Mac beams back at him. Dennis feels his heart stir and flutter but he’s not worried.

“It’s great, it feels really nice.” He sees Mac stare at him as he stands up and pulls it over his head. He blushes under the cover of the sweater.

Dennis settles back into his chair and takes another sip of tea. They made the switch to green tea a few months ago when they realized the digestion problems weren’t going away. Aging is a series of never-ending griefs, but at least he gets to create new rituals with Mac as they get older together.

Mac is still staring expectantly at him when he looks up from his tea.

“Oh right, I’ll go get yours.”

Mac shuffles in his seat contentedly and smiles to himself, but still doesn’t say anything as Dennis gets up.

His face falls when Dennis comes back with an unwrapped pair of socks in his hand.

“Merry Christmas, Mac,” Dennis says. It takes a great effort to keep his face neutral.

Mac turns them over in his hands. Runs his fingers over the fabric of the heel. Does his best to hide his disappointment. “Wow… this is… thanks Dennis.”

Dennis rolls his eyes. “Look inside, idiot.”

He eagerly tears open the socks and reaches into them to pull out a folded note.

“’Look under… the sink’?” Mac’s face is so cute when he’s confused and his eyebrows scrunch together above his nose.

Dennis sits back and watches Mac tear open the cupboard doors and push aside the bottles of dish soap.

_5, 4, 3…_

Mac’s scream comes just as predicted.

“Dennis! Did you get me a karaoke machine? Is this for real, Dennis? Holy shit, you got me a karaoke machine! Holy shit, Dennis!”

Dennis laughs as Mac struggles to get the box out from under the sink. He knows the gift is seven years too late and that Mac probably forgot about the whole thing as soon as they left the restaurant.

But he hopes the gesture speaks louder than that.

Mac is already on his knees hooking up the wires to the TV. It takes several minutes to figure out because they both refuse to read the instructional booklet. After a little yelling and Dennis accidentally pulling up the main menu in German, they concede and quickly glance at the diagram telling them how they’ve fucked up.

Dennis tries to slow his heartbeat every time Mac leans over his shoulder to check the cables.

He smiles when he realizes he can’t.

***

“The boys are back in town!”

As soon as Mac saw Thin Lizzy in the karaoke catalogue, Dennis knew they had to sing it first. Mac calls it ‘their song’ and throws the second mic to Dennis. They strum their air guitars and sing along to the riff.

Like it’s 2008 and they’re worried about their legacy.

Like it’s 2010 and a divorce is inevitable.

Like it’s 2012 and they almost…

And now it’s seven years later. Everything has changed but it’s somehow all still the same. Mac hits an imaginary crash cymbal just like he’s always done. He smiles at Dennis like nothing else in the world matters.

Dennis’ breath catches in his throat as he reaches over to queue up the next song.

“Mac, before we—I do the next one…” he starts and finds himself searching for words.

“We’ve done a lot together this year, and I just—” Dennis hesitates, still speaking into the microphone. “It took me a long time to realize how hard it was for you for me—when I—fuck.”

Mac takes a few steps closer, his excited grin fading and turning into something softer.

Dennis takes a deep breath and starts again. “Okay, I should’ve written this down somewhere. Goddamn it. Shit. Okay. Here we go. Uh… Okay. So you’ve known for a while that you’re—or maybe you didn’t and you really were just that fucking dumb—and I’m pretty sure I knew in some way too that I was—that I _am_—fuck!”

He clenches a fist in his hair and turns away. Right, the song. He presses play before he can regret anything and lets the music of the keys and the electric guitar take over.

Mac’s eyes widen to the size of saucers as he recognizes the song. Already, the lyrics Dennis is supposed to be singing show up on the screen.

_You know our love was meant to be…_

Dennis tries again to speak into the mic. “And I’ve never known how to tell you and you told Frank you wanted to show your dad what you were feeling instead of saying it and I thought that maybe I could just show you too instead of trying to say it because _obviously_ I can’t get a fucking grip and just tell—”

Mac carefully reaches into his hand. Takes the mic away. Places it on the couch. Runs his hands up Dennis’ arms to settle around his shoulders.

“Dennis…”

The music plays on as Dennis collapses onto Mac and wraps his arms around him. His face buried in Mac’s neck, he lets Mac’s hands wander up his back and weave their way into his hair. Mac doesn’t say anything and waits until Dennis’ deep sighs even out.

“Mac…” He leans back, just enough to face Mac without leaving his embrace. “I don’t want to hold back anymore. I-it’s not worth it, we’re just wasting time—”

“Dennis,” Mac interrupts. “I know.”

The chorus swells, the gift forgotten behind them. Dennis’ eyes flick down and Mac’s do the same. Mac sweeps a thumb across Dennis’ cheek, who leans in to meet the touch. Mac’s face is so close it’s getting blurry and Dennis is forced to close his eyes and—

Their lips finally meet. A wave of incomparable warmth washes through Dennis from head to toe and back up again. His mouth works against Mac’s and his hands find themselves gripping Mac’s shirt, pulling him closer as if to never let him go. He’s waited long enough.

Mac’s tongue sweeps over Dennis’ bottom lip and Dennis has to fight to keep standing up. His legs nearly give way beneath him and he pushes forward into Mac, not letting any space keep them apart.

The song finishes but Dennis continues to hold onto Mac, not willing to let this moment end. After what seems like a second and forever, their lips gently part and Dennis rests his forehead against Mac’s.

The room is quiet. Finally, Dennis lets his whisper fill the space between them.

“Merry Christmas, Mac.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
